Yeti Evidence: The Pangboche Scalp
Dr. Biswamoy Biswas examines the alleged Yeti scalp uncovered at the Pangboche monastery during the 1954 Daily MailJohn Angelo Jackson/Wikimedia Commons expedition.
In 1954 — one year after Hillary reached Everest’s summit, and near the height of Yeti mania — Britain’s Daily Mail financed a major expedition to Nepal in search of Yeti evidence. While the team claimed to have found a number of compellingly unidentifiable footprints, their most dramatic find was the Pangboche scalp.
Similarly to the Khumjung scalp, this one was found at a monastery in the village of Pangboche. Its hairs, ranging from black to brown to red, were analyzed using microscopes and microphotography, then cross-referenced with samples from known animal specimens including bears.
After completing this analysis, British scientist Frederic Wood Jones, an expert in human and comparative anatomy, was unable to identify the hairs’ origins — leaving believers with plenty of room for hope.
However, not all of Jones’ conclusions were good news for the Yeti community. Through microphotography and comparison with other known animals’ hairs, Jones ultimately concluded that, while the animal these hairs belonged to was still unknown, they did not come from a scalp. More likely, these were hairs from the shoulder of a coarse-haired hoofed animal.
Despite these findings, though, the scalp remained a significant artifact within the Pangboche monastery. This was not the only alleged Yeti artifact found at Pangboche, however, nor was it the most fascinating story that occurred as a result.
Another relic known as the Pangboche hand had also captured the attention of Yeti hunters worldwide — particularly, the Texas oilman Tom Slick.
